


The One

by clowchan



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Barisi - Freeform, Barson, Denial, Fluff, M/M, Markings, Other, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-17
Updated: 2016-03-17
Packaged: 2018-05-27 07:26:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6275161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clowchan/pseuds/clowchan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Soulmate AU prompt borrowed from the following:<br/>"Soulmate au where when you write something on your skin with pen/marker/whatever the hell you want, it will show up on your soul mates skin as well. "</p><p>"Imagine having a super artistic soulmate who draws flowers and designs and really beautiful patterns all over their arms and person 2 just sits there and watches the little lines appear on their arms and they can’t stop smiling and it’s their favorite part of the day"</p><p>"Imagine person 1 being super forgetful so they scribble down all the places their appointments are and person 2 tries to decipher them and figure out where they’re at and they meet and they see their writing on their hand from across the waiting room/ coffee shop/ etc. and they scramble to find a pen and write ‘found you’ on the back of their hand and person 1 sees it and they lock eyes and..."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Stranger

**Author's Note:**

> Most of the work is general audience except for Chapter 4

9:15 PM. That was the usual time when Rafael would find random notes on his arms or legs. These were written by "soul writers", persons destined to be one's soulmate, also known as the One. For the longest time, these notes were written by pen or markers. They would last till they were washed off or faded away from the other person. Then a few years ago, special markers were made that were easily erased off the skin or lasted only 30 minutes, whichever came first. This time, the note was on his left thigh.

_"Hello, hope you're ok. Why don't you tell me who you are?"_

He knew the drill.  _"Because"_

_"Come on. Aren't you curious?"_

_"Why won't you?"_

_"Cause I asked you first"_

So childish. Sometimes he worried he was communicating with a teenager. That would be his luck. He was very careful to never write anything gross or disturbing. He was curious about who his mystery writer was. Did he know them? Were they a half a world away? Some days he would write in Spanish to them only to get replies of _"I wish I knew what you wrote but I google translated it. Thank you, I am having a good day. "_ That made him smile. Other days he would find doodles of hearts and birds on his arms and his hands. Most of the time he enjoyed those except when it occurred during an arraignment. He got odd looks from other lawyers and the judge. How he hated that especially when his cheeks flushed with embarrassment when the judge told him not to make a mockery of his court.

Later that night, he writes on his legs, _"Please don't leave doodles on my hands during the day. Work doesn't like it."_

He would get a response of _":(  Sorry"_

_"It's ok. Anywhere else that's not visible is fine"_

_"Got it :) "_

As he undresses for bed and puts on a pair of sweatpants, he sees the marks on his stomach in the mirror. He watches as these lines turned into elaborate drawings. He wished he had artistic abilities like that. The best he could do were stick figures, which got a _"lol"_ from his soul writer. He was getting more curious about this person.

The times he needed his soulmate the most were when he had a rough day at court. Rafael writes on his forearm, _"Are you up?"_

_"sorta"_

_"Can you draw me something? On the other arm?"_

_"Like?"_

_"Surprise me."_

_"Ok."_

Rafael watches lines form on his arm. He couldn't help but smile. Soon it formed a picture. He recognised it: New York City's skyline. Did this person live near him? His heart slightly races in his chest. Maybe. He had to know.

_"Do you live in NYC?"_

_"Yes"_

_"Where?"_

_"Manhattan"_

Very close to him. His heart pounded faster.

_"You?"_

He wasn't sure he should answer. He liked the mystery between them both. He doesn't write for 10 minutes.

_"???? Are you scared? Did I scare you? I'm sorry"_

_"No. I live in the same area"_

_"Really?!"_

_"Yes"_

_"We should meet!"_

_"Maybe. I don't know."_

_"Some other time then?"_

_"Ok"_

It was a pretty common sight to see other people doodling on themselves. He checked his arms to see if any of their marks matched his. _None._ He enters the DA building and then into his office. Normally he resisted the notion of drawing on himself at work. That day he made an exception. He wasn't expecting anyone for 30 minutes, so he rolls up his sleeves and starts to write _, "Bored"_

_"Wish I could say the same"_

_"Work?"_

_"You could say. Just arrested someone."_

Rafael's eyes went wide. The person he wrote to was a cop?  The way they drew he would have placed all his metaphorical chips on that person as an artist or an illustrator. He kept thinking to himself, "Who was this?" He writes down, _"Glad to know you make the streets safer"_

_"I try"_

_"I'll be rooting for you"_

_"Thank you. Gonna make them safer for you"_

Why was Barba blushing at this? It was so corny yet here he was touching the mark and smiling. He hears a knock on the door and he quickly lets down his sleeve, "Yes?"

Carmen opens the door and walks in, "Lieutenant Benson's here."

"Let her in," Rafael looks at her.

Carmen nods, ushering them in before she returns back out to her desk.

"Hey," Liv smiles.

Before he can say anything Carisi, Dodds, Rollins, and Fin follow her in.

"See you brought the rest of the kids in," he jokes.

"Somebody has to babysit them," she laughs.

"Come on, counsellah, you enjoy our company," Carisi smiles.

"Possibly," Barba smirks.

Throughout the day, he couldn't stop thinking about that phrase. He wished he took a picture of it, but it disappeared before the thought popped into his mind. Even Carisi's ramblings didn't bug him as much as it usually did. How he wanted to roll his sleeves up and write again.

"We caught the other perp a little bit ago,” Olivia tells him.

"That's good,” Rafael grins. Then it dawned on him the time they caught the other suspect was exactly when he was writing to his soul writer. Could Liv be the One he's been writing to? His best friend? That would be nice. He glances at her arms and no marks, but that doesn't mean she wasn't the One. If it was her, wouldn't she have mentioned Noah? And she knew Spanish yet he was told previously by his soul writer they didn’t know it. Maybe Liv was teasing him to keep up the mystery? Then again, he was too. Fair is fair, he figured.

A few hours later, Rafael comes home after preparing a witness for another case on the stand. He kicks off his shoes and pours himself a glass of wine. Curling up on his couch, he starts to grin. Soon, he rolls up one of his pants and writes on his ankle. _"Think I saw you today."_

_"You did?! Where?"_

_"At work"_

Nothing but hearts appear on his ankle. _"Are you police too?"_

_"No"_

_"Then how?"_

_"In my office"_

_"Holy shit"_

Rafael laughs seeing those words on his leg. He had to be right. It had to be Liv.

_"Barba?!"_

Now he was grinning. He should be a detective too.

_"Yes, Liv :) "_

_"I'm not Liv :("_


	2. Denial

His heart sank, placing his wine glass down. It wasn't Liv? _How?_ He was so sure. They got along so well together and she mentioned catching a suspect.

_"You're not. Are you sure?"_

_"Very"_ The frown face was drawn bigger.

_"Rollins?"_

_"No"_

_"Fin?"_

_"No"_

_"Carisi?"_

_"Yes"_

Carisi? _Carisi?!_ It couldn't be. He had one last hope it was Liv playing a joke on him.

_"This isn't a prank is it?"_

_"No. Think I'm gonna go to bed"_

Rafael shakes his head. He didn't mean to upset him, although the idea of Carisi being his soul writer wasn't one of his top choices. He shrugs and goes to bed himself. Later, he wakes up hoping to find a drawing or writing on his body. Nothing. He writes _"Sorry"_ on his hand and he falls back to sleep.

The next afternoon, Rafael walks into the precinct. He spots Carisi typing into his laptop, looking upset, but concealing it with a friendly "Hello, Counsellah". His attention returns back to his computer, frowning slightly. Rafael was so used to Carisi coming up to him and asking him 20 Questions about being an attorney or various penal codes; however, this does not happen. He stands there for a moment before walking into Liv's office. As he walks in he looks over his shoulder, watching Carisi rub his forearm.

"Carisi seems to be in a mood," Rafael blurts out as he closes the door.

"Says he's a little under the weather," Liv looks at him. "Did you get my search warrant?"

"It's why I'm here," he pulls out the warrant from his briefcase.

"Thank you," she takes it before calling Carisi and Rollins into her office. Rafael’s heart races seeing him, his soul writer was so close. He straightens himself out, watching them take the search warrant and leave. Carisi avoided eye contact the entire time yet he kept rubbing his forearm again. He wondered if Carisi was trying to tell him something or he was scratching an itch. Maybe Rafael was reading too much into it.

As soon as Rollins and Carisi leave, Rafael turns to Liv, "Can I ask you something? Friend to friend?"

"Sure,” she smiles.

"Have you figured out your soul writer?"

"Not yet. Have you?"

"Yes. Or I think I have," he laughs nervously. "I thought it was you, but it's not."

Liv stands up, putting her hands on her desk. She leans forward, giving a curious look, "And how do you know?"

"Asked," he says, barely smiling.

"Let's see," she pulls out a marker from her desk. "Out of curiosity." She writes _"Hey"_ on her forearm.

Rafael takes off his jacket and lays it on her desk. He rolls up both sleeves.

She watches for a second and then looks up at him, "Anything?"

"Nope," he shakes his head.

She hands the marker to him, "Sometimes it takes a while."

"Not this long. Watch." He writes on his forearm, _"Hello"_

She gets up and walks to the front of their desk. They both watch as something is written on his other arm. _"Leave me alone. Working."_

"Ouch," Liv says. "What did you say?"

"The wrong thing," he rolls down his sleeves and puts his jacket back on.

Liv cocks her head, "Is that all?"

"Yeah, probably asking this person 'is this a prank?' was not the brightest thing to say. I didn't think they took it that hard," he crosses his arms.

"Sounds to me like they're sensitive. You might have to change the way you talk to them," she pats his shoulder in a gentle manner.

"I didn't think this person was that sensitive, but given their line of work, I should have known better," he shakes his head.

"So I know this person," she smiles.

.

"I didn't mention that, but I rather not say," he turns his head away from her, blushing. Part of him felt guilty that he was hoping his soul writer was her. The other felt bad about how he reacted after finding out the truth.

"Ok, I'll leave it," she sits back down at her desk.

"Thanks. Oh and I need those reports by today," he looks at her as he closes his briefcase.

"You know I'll get them to you, Barba," she smiles again.

"Good," seeing her smile made him feel better about the situation as he left her office.

Few hours later, Rafael goes home after a meeting with a judge. He hoped he would find something written on him.  After getting his coat off and rolling up his sleeves, he checks his arms. Then he lifts up his pants and looked at his legs. Nothing. Carisi was probably still angry at him. Even knowing his soul writer was him, Rafael questioned why he missed his writings so much. He turned on the TV and walk to the kitchen to pour himself a cup of coffee. He thought distracting himself with paperwork would do the trick and for a couple of hours it did. Then the thought of that NYC skyline art crept back into his mind. He lets out an annoyed groan as he gets into his usual wear for his writing sessions. He gets out his marker and writes, _"I miss your art"_

_"Is this another prank? >:( "_

Rafael purses his lips and rolls his eyes. Too bad the marks couldn't convey his annoyance _. "No, I actually like your drawings"_

_"Sorry"_

_"I should"_ Rafael stops writing. Why was writing sorry to Carisi so hard for him? He blamed his stubbornness and pride.

_"Should?"_

_"I should apologise to you."_ How he cringed writing that despite his conscience telling him to and yet he continues. _"I'm sorry for being condescending to you.”_  He hated how his stomach was in knots hoping Carisi would accept his half ass apology. He felt sick.

 _"You should be"_ which got quickly erased. _"Sorry. Pissed off at last night. I finally find my soul writer only to be not taken seriously. You know how much that hurts?"_ The rest of the note continues down his leg _. “I know that you don't take me seriously sometimes, but I admire you. And with these past weeks of working together more closely and you helping me with my law studies. I thought we had a closer thing"_ He crosses out thing. _"friendship"_ Another string of sentences formed on his other leg. _“Then I find out you were the One. I was ecstatic despite your numerous wrong guesses and thinking me for Olivia. Then to dismiss me altogether with asking me if this was a prank. Sucks."_

Rafael finally understood how much he hurt Carisi. Sometimes he forgot other people's feelings when he dealt with them unless they were very close to him. He didn't mean to, it was how he worked. And now he has a book of Carisi's feelings written all over his legs and his arms.  He had to find another spot to write on. He lifts up his shirt and writes on his stomach. _"Again sorry."_ He bites his lip and continues to write, _"Not sure what else to say to you"_

 _"ADA Barba speechless? How unusual"_ The rest of the notes fade away.

Rafael lowers his shirt and writes on his ankle, _"Come on. Being serious here. I'm not the best person for apologising but I mean it"_ He sighs in frustration as he places the marker down. There was no need to write to Carisi anymore if he was not going to believe him. He gets up from the couch and pours a glass of scotch.  Looking down, he sees notes on his feet. They were drawings of birds. He smiles a little before downing the rest of the drink and drinks another glass. He was a little tipsy, but more relaxed. The rest of the paperwork could wait until morning. Besides, the art piece that was now covering his entire right leg interested him more. Another city scene. Possibly Central Park but he wasn't sure. Rafael writes on his left leg, _"Buat"_ He erases it. _“vry Beuatiful"_

_"Barba are you drunk?"_

_"A little"_

_"Because of me?"_

_"No, jst wanted to"_ He giggles. _"But please keep drawin. Its nice"_

 _"Ok"_ Another set of lines form and his eyes go wide. _"My office?"_

_"Yes. Sorry."_

_"No, it's great. Lot of details."_ Now his curiosity piqued. _"How long have you been drwin?"_

 _"Since I was a kid. Just something to do_ " A quick doodle of Rafael appears. He quickly gets his phone out and snaps a picture of it. _"A hobby but my job and learning the law is my passion."_

Rafael smirks at _"law is my passion"._ He couldn’t help but quip to himself, "Kiss ass."

_"And food too"_

_"You cook?"_

_"Sometimes"_

_"Perhaps you shoud come ovre sometime and show me"_

A huge smiley face is drawn. _"You mean it and not cuz youre tipsy?"_

 _"Yes. In fact let me write it on my planner."_ Which Rafael does. Since Carisi was the One he might as well invite him sometime soon he figured. _"There, it's wrten. written."_

_"How about tomorrow? It's Saturday night anyway and I have nothing to do. I'll make you the best lasagna you've ever had"_

Rafael shakes his head. Did he open Pandora's box? Italian did sound good and he had no plans either. Might as well, he shrugs to himself _"Tomorrow's buena. Good."_

" _Time? Can I cook at your place? Do you even have a stove? Or pots and pans?"_

Rafael laughs, _"Afternoon. Whenever. I dont care. Sure. And yes I do hav both "_ He draws a smiley face. He couldn't believe Carisi was genuinely making him laugh. He yawns and looks over at the clock. Midnight. He had to go to bed.

_":)"_

_"Goodnight Carisi"_

_"Night"_


	3. Not Quite a Date

Rafael wakes up to see notes written on his arms and his legs. Judging by the notes that were slightly fading, Carisi must have just woken up a little before he did.

_"Hope you're not hungover" "Coming over at 3 today" "Do you like cannolis?"_

"What," he says to himself as he stretches and gets up from his bed. He was a little groggy but nothing coffee couldn't fix. He makes himself a pot before looking over his calendar: _"Carisi coming to make food"_

"Shit," he says to himself, rubbing his hair. He actually forgot. He writes back _, "I'm fine. Ok. I do."_ A tired groan escapes from him as he shuffles into the bathroom to take a quick 10 minute shower. He hops out and gets dressed promptly as the smell of coffee beckoned him. Sipping the dark brew, he curses his drunkself for doing this. "Might as well get it over with." He looks over to see words forming on his arm.

 _"Tomatoes, olive oil, ground beef, onion, pepper, oregano, other seasoning, garlic, pasta..."_ The list continues on.

Rafael rolls his eyes, "Are you kidding me?!”  He couldn't believe Carisi was writing a grocery list on his arm. Then he realised he's done this before for a birthday cake a few months back and meatloaf nearly a year ago." He was about to write on his other arm, _"Hey I'm not a post it note_ ", however, thought better of it. He didn't want to put Carisi in a sour mood again. How surprising that Rafael was starting to care about his feelings. Since Carisi would be out for hours, he decides to take a stroll and run a couple of errands. He gets back to his apartment at 2:30 PM. For some reason, he expected Carisi to be there this early but was wrong.  He enters his apartment and tidies up. He sets up his dining table to show Carisi he was taking this seriously. It was so odd that he felt nervous about this. It wasn't a date, but it wasn't hanging out with a co-worker either. He had no clue what to call it. Just as the clock hits 3 he hears a knock on the door and a "Counsellah?"

Rafael opens the door, "Carisi." He sees him holding five bags of groceries. Was he cooking for an entire family? A silly thought popped into his head of "what if this detective invited his entire family?" He wouldn't put it past him. "Come in." He grabs a couple of bags and places them on a counter. "Kitchen's here."

"Thanks," Carisi places the rest of the bags on the counter. "Fancy place you got here."

"It's ok," Rafael shrugs.

"Way bigger than what I have," Carisi starts to pull out items from the bags.

"So lasagna," Rafael didn't want to discuss each other's living arrangements. "Need any help?"

"Nah, I got this. You relax."

"Fine," he nods as Carisi smiles preparing the food.

Rafael couldn't stop staring at his dimples.

"Something wrong, Barba?"

"No, no. Carry on," he waves it off and sits down to watch him. The scent of Carisi's cooking filled his home, he could practically taste it. He felt his stomach rumble.

"You're awfully quiet,” Carisi notes.

"Don't want to bother the cook," he picks up some papers and writes on them. "Plus work."

"It's the weekend, you should relax," he smiles before he gets out a marker and writes on his arm.

Rafael looks down to see what he wrote _"like that 80's song"_ which garnered a laugh from him. "Clever, Carisi."

An hour passes and food was served. "Here you go," Carisi serves Rafael a plate before serving his own and sits down.

"Thank you," Rafael begins to eat. His eyes widen for a moment after his first bite.

"Something wrong? Is it bad? You can be honest," Carisi looks worried.

"It's fine. It's delicious," Rafael smiles.

"Oh ok, good." Carisi looked relieved to see Rafael's reaction.

A half hour later they finish their meal.

"That was really good. I underestimated you,” Rafael takes his plate to his sink. "Just as good as your art." He looks to see Carisi blushing. He smirks as he looks at him again. There was something different about Carisi but he couldn't figure it out. It wasn't because he was the One. It was something else. Carisi starts to clean up Rafael's kitchen and packed up the left overs. He split them in half, placing his in the grocery bags, and the rest in the fridge.

"I want to tell you thanks for letting me cook for you," Carisi bites his lip, lifting up the bags, and heading towards the door.

Rafael looks surprised. "Where are you going?"

Carisi reaches for the door, but stops, "Leaving."

"I didn't ask."

"I know but I have to help my sister and my niece with some errands."

"Very busy, detective,” he smirks.

"You have no idea," Carisi laughs. "Have a good day, Barba."

"You too," he waves as the door closes.


	4. Wanting

That night he couldn't stop thinking about Carisi.  Well, the meal he made.  He's always had a weakness for food, especially if it's well made.  But he thought about his generosity too.  Perhaps Carisi wasn't as bad as he thought he was. And he had to admit he was cute.  He usually didn't go for blondes, but this was different. Carisi was different. Maybe different was what he needed all along.  Suddenly he finds himself with his hand down his pants. Was he really touching himself? Over Carisi? Because he cooked him lunch?  How desperate was he? It was true he hadn't dated anyone in a while but this? He pulls his hand out. 

Now he felt dirty.  He hadn't felt that way since he was a teen.  It didn't help knowing Carisi was the One. Yet he yearned for him for other reasons. No, he wanted to take this slow. To get to know him more.  He felt his cock grow hard, pressing itself against his pants. His body wanted to do God knows what to him, but his mind disagreed. He ignored the reaction or tried to, which was way harder than he expected.  He wondered what Carisi was like in bed.  Then he thought about Carisi asking a trillion questions or talking about his sister's kid and he started to lose his erection. Despite this, his curiosity lingered on. He didn't understand it, but he figured he might as well explore it. He writes on his forearm, _"are you available tonight?"_

_"For more art? What did you have in mind?"_

_"No, not that"_ Rafael really want to write "to fuck you".  Instead, he opts for a more polite reply. _"Your company"_

_“You’re not kidding are you? I was just thinking about you :)"_

Of course Carisi was thinking about him. Not that his own ego minded. _"So are you available? Limited time offer"_

 _"Yes! I'll be right over"_ A second line appears. " _In 20 minutes but I'm hurrying"_

 _"You better. I'm naked"_ He wanted to read his reaction.

_"ARE YOU SERIOUS?!"_

He laughs. _"I'm not but the clock is ticking"_

Those 20 minutes come and go when he hears a few knocks on his door.

"Evening, Barba."

Rafael doesn't say anything but writes on his hand

Carisi looks to see, "Are you sure?"

Rafael only nods.

Carisi seemed nervous as he approaches Rafael. He reaches down and kisses his hand which reads "Kiss Me", then he kisses him slowly.

Rafael, at first, was unsure if he liked this. He felt tense, not reciprocating the same passion. He wanted this, yet he didn't. What was going on? He thought if a person found the One, it would be instantaneous. He thought if he drank something, it would help. _No._ He wanted to be sober for this. It had to be genuine. His eyes dart to various parts of the room as they continue to kiss.

Carisi stops for a moment, "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," he looks at him. "I know this is clichéd but it's not you, it's me." Even he knew he was giving such a piss poor performance when a couple hours ago he was touching himself thinking about this moment. When has Rafael ever gotten performance anxiety?

Carisi steps back, looking dejected. "I get it. I should head back home."

"No, stay. Here," Rafael grabs his hands, wanting to try again. "Let's try something else."

"What do you have in mind?"

Once again, Rafael writes on his wrist, walking towards the living room.

Carisi looks at his own. "Cuddle me?" His cheeks flush and his eyes look away from Rafael’s as if he was ashamed of something.

Rafael takes notice and writes on his arm, _"What were you thinking?"_ before turning on the television for background noise.

"Counsellah, I? Sorry"

"Carisi." He lays back on the couch, beckoning him, "This once I'll allow you to call me Rafael."

Carisi's embarrassed look turns to one of elation. "Fine. Please call me Sonny."

"Deal."

Carisi sits next to him, looking a little unsure until Rafael wraps his arms around him. It was here where Carisi felt relaxed and Rafael found himself nuzzling his neck.

"Bar- Rafael" Carisi jumps at the gesture.

Rafael takes in Carisi’s scent. He noted he was wearing some cologne that he thought suited Carisi. It wasn't expensive, but it wasn't cheap either. He started to kiss his neck. Carisi moans, which in turn started to make him hard. No? Yes? He wanted this to go slow. To explore the younger man's body before any sort of "relations" happened. Then an idea popped into his head. He smirks against his neck before he stops.

"Stopping again?" Carisi looked worried "I'm a crappy One I-"

"Sonny," Rafael places a finger on his lips and then pulls out the marker. He writes inside his hand. _"Go to my room. 2nd door on the left"_

Carisi looks at his and complies.

_"Touch yourself"_

_"What?"_

Rafael undresses down to his underwear and his undershirt, writing _"here"_ on his forearm, his inner thigh, and his stomach _.  "Your turn."_

He looks around on himself. _"Here"_ forms on his shoulder. He sees his reflection in the window and sees _"Here"_ on his neck and his cheek. "Carisi," he laughs. Then another sentence shows up on his forearm.

_"Places I want to kiss you"_

_"How bad?"_ The thought of making Carisi wait like that turned him on.

_"You like teasing me don't you?"_

_"Answer my question"_

_"Come to your room and I'll show you"_

Rafael smirks. Carisi had a point and writing could only express so much. Curiosity took hold of him as he went to his room, "Show me."

Carisi caresses Rafael's face, whispering, "Gladly." He leans in, kissing his cheek, trailing his lips to his neck and then his shoulder. He pins Rafael against the wall, biting his neck lightly.

Rafael moans. He couldn't believe he was enjoying this. He was glad he resisted the notion of drinking when things were awkward before. This felt real and genuine.

Carisi tugs Rafael’s collar of his undershirt to plant more kisses on his chest.  He stops for a second to touch his gold necklace. “Are you a Catholic?”

“Yes.” Why would Carisi ask something so awkward? Sometimes he wishes he would keep his mouth shut and just kiss him some more. “Why?”

“Just saw this,” his fingers touch the crucifix. “I guess we have something else in common.” He smiles before he continued on.

“T-true,” Rafael nods. Not that Carisi kept being a Catholic secret. Rafael saw him, more than once, do the sign of the cross when the squad were looking at really horrendous crime scene photos. However, this was not the time nor place to think about work or sins he was committing against their religion. He preferred both were kept out of the bedroom.

Rafael’s hands started to explore Carisi’s back and his sides as they kissed one another till they made their way to his hair. Oddly, it was soft despite its greasy appearance. He’s never seen him with his hair down in person, but has seen photos of it. How he long to run his fingers through those curls. Now he was hard. Rafael felt his hands on his legs before they brushed against his groin. Did he do that on purpose?  When Carisi’s hand slips under the elastic of his underwear feeling his fingers on his member. His breath hitches, “Sonny…”

“Sorry” He stops touching him and starts to pull his hand out.

Rafael stops his hand, “No, keep going.”

They passionately kiss one another as Sonny strokes him more. His hips buck with each stroke. He wanted more, to be inside Carisi. This made him wonder if Carisi’s ever been with another man. He pegged Sonny as straight. Was he gay or bisexual like himself? That thought was short lived when Rafael finds his way onto his bed, on top of Carisi. He pulls off his shirt and he kisses his chest and his abdomen. Unbuckling Carisi’s pants, it was his turn to play. He thumbs the tip of his erection, making Carisi yelp.

“R-Rafael, you’re gonna make me come!”

“I’ve barely done anything,” he strokes him, nice and slow. He takes his hand out. Carisi makes another wanting moan.

“No whining.” 

“You shouldn’t tease me”

He grabs a marker that he kept on the nightstand and writes on the inside of his forearm. _“Top or bottom”_ He didn’t care either way.

Carisi looks at his arm and then at Rafael. He points to one of the words _“Top_ ”. Rafael figures he would say that until Carisi speaks, “you.” His eyes widen for a second.

“Unless you want me to… ”

“No, no. Your choice,” he grins, crawling into bed with him.

Carisi took off Rafael’s shirt.

So much for his idea of taking it slow. He feels Carisi’s fingers trail from his chest to his stomach and they finally stop at his hips. Carisi flicks the elastic band of his underwear against his skin. It made Rafael incredibly horny. Carisi eyes his erection that was straining against his underwear. He lies next to Rafael, making out with him, and stroking his erection through the fabric of his underwear. Rafael starts to moan in Spanish.

Carisi smirks, “Again.” He strokes him more, making Rafael speak faster.

“Sonny! Ay!” He was on the verge of coming.

Carisi stops and strips off his underwear. “Lube?”

“A-what?” Rafael was completely caught off guard.

“Lube?”

“I-in the drawer. With the condoms.”

Carisi reaches over and grabs said items. He climbs on top of Rafael. He leans down and pulls off Rafael’s underwear with his teeth.

Rafael grins as he runs his hands through his hair. He was pleasantly surprised by how experienced Carisi was with this. Carisi places the condom on him and lubes him up, nice and slow. Rafael moans again. He was incredibly horny. He couldn’t believe how much he wanted Carisi, who was now positioning himself in front of him. Rafael caresses his ass before he lubes his entrance and slowly guides himself in. Both men moan at the same time as Rafael thrusts nice and slow.

Carisi grabs the sheets, pushing his head more into the pillow. “Oh God!”

Rafael stops for a moment, worried he hurt him until Carisi begs for more. He didn’t think he could be turned on anymore. Hearing Carisi pleading beneath him, made him thrust faster. He leans down, nipping Carisi’s ear and whispering dirty things to him in Spanish.

“Rafael!” Carisi moans louder as his toes curl “Fuck! More!”

Rafael felt Carisi shutter around him. He figured Carisi was just as close as he was. A chill rolled down his spine and he was thrusting as fast and hard as he could. So close. He leaves light bite marks on his shoulders and his back until he reached his climax.  He came hard and then collapsed on top of Carisi, who also reached his. Rafael loved that he came at the same time as Carisi. He felt more connected to him in a strange way.  Both men lay in bed, breathing hard for a couple of minutes. Did Carisi really wear him out? He hoped that was the case and not because he was getting older.

Carisi gets up, “Sorry about the sheets.”

“It’s ok,” Rafael lies on his side, watching him take the sheet off.

“Hamper?”

“Next to the dresser,” Rafael gets up and cleans himself up. He grabs another blanket and lays it carelessly on the bed. He gets underneath it, watching Carisi return.

“Thanks,” Carisi gets in bed and joins  Rafael. He runs his fingers through Rafael’s hair for a moment before caressing his face and then kissing him gently. “I know this will sound like I’m kissing your ass, but you were incredible.”

Rafael smirks, “Surprisingly, so were you too.”

Carisi chuckles a little as they kiss again.

A few minutes later, both of them were starting to fall asleep. Rafael felt Carisi wrap his arms around his waist, pulling him closer. Normally, he would object, but this felt different. He felt protected and he felt numerous butterflies in his stomach.  He never felt that way before. He was too tired to question why he was suddenly feeling like this. As he drifts off to sleep, he feels Carisi’s face nuzzle into the nape of his neck, mumbling something into it. He could have sworn the younger man said “I love you” but he was completely unsure. One thing he did know that changed was he no longer Carisi to him but Sonny.


	5. The Morning After

9:30 AM. Rafael wakes up alone in his bed. He found this very strange, almost alienating considering what transpired the night before. He figured Sonny would be one of those lovers who would keep his arms around his partner, pleading not to get out of bed, and spend the whole day there. Just a total romantic. Perhaps, it was wishful thinking and he felt a little disappointed his morning didn’t start that way. Was he suddenly becoming a sap? He cringed at that thought of becoming _that_. How embarrassing that a night with Sonny would do that to him. He thought about staying in bed longer. It was Sunday and he had no other plans, yet he was wide awake. He gets up and gathers a few things to wear before he heads off to the shower. As he steps in, words form on his arms

_“Sorry I didn’t stay in bed with you” “You’re very snuggly and warm” “I’m making pancakes. Bacon or sausage?”_

Rafael cocks an eyebrow as he washes his neck, “What?” He wished he had a marker, but the ones he had weren’t waterproof.

_“Are you even up? Im gonna cook both just in case and bring it to you in bed”_

Rafael smiles before he shampoos and rinses his hair. At least, he wasn’t wrong about Sonny being a hopeless romantic. Turning off the water, he steps out, dries off and gets dressed. He rolls up the sleeve of his grey sweatshirt and gets the marker off the bathroom sink.

_“Fine with either. Was showering. Will be coming out. No need to bring food into the bedroom. Thx”_

He walks into the hallway and he could smell the pancakes. “Hey.”

“Perfect timing,” Sonny smiles. “Breakfast is served. And I made you coffee too.”

It was here that he noticed Sonny’s hair lacked product. He must have used his shower before he got up. Surprisingly, he wasn’t annoyed with him not asking his permission to use it. He was busy thinking about how he missed the opportunity to shower _with_ Sonny. Maybe next time. He quickly shakes the thought from his mind as he sips his coffee, “You’re too much, Sonny.” He lifts up the cup and drinks it. “Thank you. You didn’t have to … do all of this.” Admittedly, Rafael was a little uncomfortable with somebody doing so much for him and him not doing anything. He didn’t want to seem lazy or act like he wasn’t putting any effort for his One.

“I wanted to. Especially giving us a chance. And for last night.”

Rafael blushes. He’s never blushed like that after having relations with somebody. He truly was transforming into a softy.   He rubs one side of his face a little trying to calm himself.

“Counse-Rafael, are you-” There was that mischievous look Sonny gave, especially when he squints his eyes like so.

“Before you say it, yes. Now hush and eat your food,” he laughs. Rafael loved how easily Sonny could amuse him so and that his reaction was completely genuine. All of his doubts and denials about Sonny being the One were fading away. Before, he couldn’t get away from Sonny fast enough and now he was looking forward to spending time _with_ Sonny. If Rafael said that to himself a week ago, he would have called himself a liar.

Sonny laughs too, “Ok, Raf. And you’re welcome.”


	6. Conclusion

Over a year later, Rafael and Sonny stand in front of everyone at the altar that took place on the beach. Even though Carisi was a more devout Catholic than Rafael, he was the one that came up with the idea of a beachside wedding. Not that Rafael objected. It was Miami Beach, of course. He had family down there. Plus he could walk barefoot in the sand. A week prior they officially got married in New York City at a courthouse to make everything easier. This wedding was more relaxed, more personal, and everyone could wear summer clothing. Rafael asked Olivia to be the officiant and she gladly accepted. She stood in front of the two grooms in her white summer dress that flowed in the summer breeze. Before she asks them that most important question, Noah and Carisi’s niece walk up with markers in their hands. They hand them to Rafael and Carisi respectively. Both the men mouth the words “Thank you” to them, and tuck their markers into their shirt pockets. The children giggle before they sit back down. Sonny and Rafael face one another, holding each other’s hands.

Olivia asks, “Do you Rafael Barba take Dominick Carisi Jr. to be your wedded husband?”

Rafael reaches into his pocket, gets the marker, and writes in his hand. Sonny looks at his and grins.

Rafael nods, “I do.”

“And do you Dominick Carisi Jr. take Rafael Barba as your wedded husband?”

Sonny does the same with Rafael.

“I do.”

“You may now kiss the groom.”

Sonny grins, “Gladly.” He dips Rafael down, kissing him, and bringing him back up.

Olivia jokingly whispers, “Get a room, you two.”

Rafael smirks, whispering back to her, “We already have.”

As the newly married couple walk hand-in-hand, both their friends and family hug and greet them with a “congratulations”.

Sonny takes out his marker and draws a heart on Rafael’s cheek, which showed up on his own.

Rafael writes on his arm, _“Mi amor, I love you, even tho you can be a total dork. Yours always, Rafi”_

“But I’m your dork,” Carisi grins proudly, wrapping his hand around Rafael’s.

“Touché, Sonny, touché,” Rafael laughs as they walk along the beach. Despite his numerous objections and denials in the past, he was grateful that Sonny ended up being his soul writer, his One. He couldn’t wait to begin their life together as a married couple.


End file.
